Thursday, March 3, 2011

"Weathering is the breakdown and alteration of rocks and minerals at or near the Earth's surface into products that are more in equilibrium with the conditions found in this environment. Most rocks and minerals are formed deep within the Earth's crust where temperatures and pressures differ greatly from the surface. Because the physical and chemical nature of materials formed in the Earth's interior are characteristically in disequilibrium with conditions occurring on the surface. Because of this disequilibrium, these materials are easily attacked, decomposed, and eroded by various chemical and physical surface processes." From http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/10r.html

The three types of weathering are chemical, physical and Biological, I am going to cover only chemical and physical or mechanical weathering in this post.

Chemical weathering occurs when the composition of rocks change, and the process of a rock changes take place below ground surface where water and rocks are in contact in the soil. There are two common minerals, halite and calcite and they are "often found in water and are able to dissolve rocks. When oxygen combines with iron-bearing silicate, the rock can begin to "rust." However, gases and other solutions can also chemically alter rocks (pollution in cities demonstrates this well)."

The photos are from the Red Rocks Trading Post

Chemical weathering of rocks

http://geology.csupomona.edu/drjessey/class/Gsc101/Weathering.html

Mechanical or physical weathering is the breakdown of rocks without chemically causing any changes. It occurs "when a rock changes form, but not its elemental make up."

Expansion and Contraction - the thermal heating and cooling of rocks causing expansion and contraction

Frost Action - Water freezes at night and expands because the solid occupies greater volume. Action wedges the rocks apart. Requires adequate supply of moisture; moisture must be able to enter rock or soil; and temperature must move back and forth over freezing point.

Exfoliation - process in which curved plates of rock are stripped from a larger rock mass. Example Half Dome. Exact mechanism uncertain but probably due to unloading.

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Bmc was born to rock & roll! Originated in Senegal. Bmc is a Multicultural Microphone Coordinator and a college student majoring in Music Entertainment Business at UCD. He is a true rap artist knowledgeable in many areas in the recording industry such as audio production, music publishing, music business etc. BMC is currently using what he is learning from UCD to push his music career. Bmc released one digital album with his former group called Afro Connection worldwide. They toured Africa in 2009, which they gained national exposure in Senegal and Guinea Conakry.
BMC spends most of his time making new music and performing in local, national, and international music venues such as House Of Blues operated by Live Nation counting Colorado, Nashville, Africa, and else where. Bmc biggest moments are countless including Summer Jam and other music concerts around the world such as Fiesta 2H. International Television such as 2stv, RTS, and TFM are currently airing his own music videos. Now Bmc is pursuing a solo career and he is currently working on his album, which will be released in 2012. He released a free EP last summer while being busy recording, touring, and studying at UCD.